The UK government is urging Meta to implement safety measures for children similar to those recently established in the United States, following a significant legal settlement that could cost the tech giant as much as $18 billion. In the US, Meta has agreed to provide default protections for users under 18. These include a two-hour daily usage limit, which can only be extended with parental consent, along with overnight access restrictions and limits on notifications during nighttime and school hours.
British officials have expressed that children in the UK deserve the same level of protection as their American counterparts. In line with this, the UK government is formulating new regulations aimed at controlling social media access for minors. These proposed measures include barring children under 16 from certain platforms and enforcing overnight curfews for teenage users.
The US settlement has amplified calls for more stringent regulations on social media platforms and increased scrutiny of features that encourage excessive use. This heightened focus on social media safety has sparked a broader conversation about the need for regulation that adequately addresses the risks associated with these platforms.
However, some experts caution that while time limits and curfews are steps in the right direction, they may not fully tackle the root issues. Specifically, concerns linger about engagement-driven features like infinite scrolling, autoplay, and algorithmic recommendations, which are designed to keep users engaged for longer periods.